As you enter the places you find that the place is a chaotic mess of running military ponies, some armed in the armor of the regulars, but most in the gold or silver of the royal guard.

It takes a bit of running and getting bumped into my armored ponies, but before too long you find yourselves standing before a decorated wooden door with a shield emblazoned on my.

Spike opens the door and you feel a magical rush as a spell is broken. As it is, the argument that the spell had been silencing comes through loud and clear.

"And I say that you have been benefiting from all this a little TOO much!" Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard snarls, pointing an accusing hoof at General Songbird.

"You concerns are noted, PRINCE, but as you are neither my ranking superior nor speaking on behalf of the princess, I don't believe-" Songbird stops himself as he sees you and Spike. "You have guests to attend to. We will discuses this later." Songbird turns and stalks from the room.

"What is it?" Shining Armor asks, tersely before reckoning who is with you. "Spike? Whats going on? Where is my sister?"

"Whats wrong?" A second, feminine voice asks from another room. A moment latter a pink alicorn steps out of a side room. She looks tired as she puts down a quill, paper and ink pot she had been levitating.

"Well," Spike starts, looking at you. "We have some bad news and something to ask you." Spike quickly explains what you both know.

Cadence turns to look at you. "What do you need me to do?" She asks, resolutely.

Zack begins running purposely staying just ahead of the manticores so he can slow them down by evading their attacks but after ten meters of doing so Zack glimpses a scar on the center one's front right paw's center pad. It can't be, the odds are astronomical Zack thought as he sped up no longer slowing the manticores down, all four soon caught up to the five mares.

"When did Fluttershy get so fast?" Twilight pants as you run up along side her.

Apple Jack, who was keeping up the pace with considerably more ease looks about to say something before noticing the manticores directly behind them. "Look out!"

The girls dodge away from the monsters as the barrel along after you. I moment before they move into attack again, you all hear a loud roar. The mannticores slid to a stop, head tilted to better hear as the roar comes again.

The beasts turn and begin to lop back in the direction of the sound as the girls look on in confusion.

"What just happened?" Apple Jack asked, taking off her hat and wiping her brow.

"I have no idea..." Twilight admitted. "That's more Fluttershy's field of knowledge."

There is a sudden crack, as if from a gun shoot as a streak of color rockets across the sky before diving into the tree line.

"Hey girls!" A worn and battered looking Rainbow Dash waves at you from her perch. "You haven't seen Fluttershy around, have you?"

Dash quickly explains that she and Fluttershy went after the mysterious pony's when they saw one of them fleeing the seen of the attack with an unconscious shadowbolt. When they followed them into the forest they had been separated in an ambush that Dash had only barely escaped from.

"So, since then I have been looking for Fluttershy. I almost saw her a few time, but each time I did Manticore or timber wolfs or some other kind horrible monster would get in the way." Dash finishes.

"Yes, the same thing happened to us!" Twilight says, thinking. "We manged to hold them off long enough to talk to her attest a little, but she did was yell at us and fly away."

Zack took his sword out of it's sheath and stuck it in to the ground and then took said sheath off and held it aloft in his aura "Shy listen please" Zack called to the woods "you know RD, she wouldn't leave you like that. If you want to be mad at anypony be mad at me, I think I'm the one you where following when you were ambushed" he said while walking away from his sword so his combat instincts wouldn't make him use it. He assumed a defensive posture as he awaited Shy's attack but it would never come look out

Zack is hit square in the flank by a pair of light blue hind hooves causing him to roll twice "why didn't help us?" Dash yelled

"if I had known, I would have but ever since this started I've had nothing but one bad break after another" he said softly while the chill from the pendant got more prominent.

"And you think that makes it OK!? We got attack, Fluttershy is lost in the woods, going crazy and insulting her friend all because she has been going though things that have even give me a bit of trouble and your excuse is that you have not been having a good time!?!" Dash makes a move for you, but is held back by Rarity and Twilight's magic.

"I am curious as to why you would be so far out in the woods, if they where following you when they where attacked." App Jack asks. While her voice is calmer then her friend's you can see her eyes narrow dangerously.

Nigel licks his lips, "Princess Cadence, well, it seems as though the Changelings are back. It looks as they took Princess Luna and intend to ruin her repution by going around attacking as Nightmare Moon."

There is a strained silence in the room for several long seconds before Cadence speaks. "Celestia has been growing more and more aggravated and paranoid since her sister's disappearance and Nightmare Moon's apparent return. If there is even a chance that Luna is still out there and Nightmare Moon is just a changeling trick then we MUST move quickly to find her and return her to Canterlot before Celestia makes a terrible mistake!"

Shining Armor move to stand beside his wife. "I don't trust Songbird, that stallion has gained to much power to quickly from all of this to just lose it all if the problem is to quickly resolved. If you have any idea where the Changelings might be, then I would suggest that we move quickly to confront them. I can get a few of my more loyal guards to prepare a sky chariot to bring us any where in the nation in short order."

"I guess you do raise a valid point Applejack, I wanted to avoid unnecessary confrontations with the towns folk. carrying a Shadowbolt on my back would draw a lot of attention this far from Nightmare Night." Zack said nonchalantly "its not that Dash, I'm usually so on top of things that I don't know what to do, ever since this began I've been goaded into one trap after another"

"I guess I can see your point" Rainbow said as Twilight and Rarity let her go

"You are getting closer to me, but you are in grave danger!" The voice is faint as thou from far away, but none of the others seem to hear it.

"Hurry, I fear his plans are drawing closer to fruition!" The cold metal of the necklaces almost burns your skin. Seeming to realize this the voice fades, saying, "I am sorry." and with it go's the pain.

"Zack? What just happened?" Twilight asked. You see all the girls are looking at you. "You looked like you where in pain there for a minute."

"Right!" Dash shouts. "With you all here, she might be more willing to come out and talk to us, but she has been running from me ever time I think I am getting near her. Should we stick together and hope she comes to us or spread out a little so we can find her faster?"

"A nice sentiment, but I am afraid your mistaken." The cold voice echos around you. "7 lost little ponies, running around the deep, dark woods without a clue as to where they are going. I can taste your fear even from here!" The chuckles, low and menacing.

From all around you, dull green eyes emerge from the darkness, hissing laughter from dozens of throats joining the in with the original voice.

"I know the six bares of the elements, but who is your companion? Are you trying to replace your lost friend with another so soon, um?"